“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!’” (Luke 1:26–28 NLT)

 

It’s difficult for us to understand, two thousand years after the events of Luke 1, the significance of the angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary in Nazareth. After all, the Lord could have found the future mother of the Messiah in Rome, the capital of the greatest power on earth at the time. He could have found her in Athens, the cultural center of the world. He could have found her in Jerusalem, the spiritual center of the world. But God chose Nazareth, an obscure city that was notorious for its sin. Years later, when Jesus’ future disciple Nathaniel heard that Jesus was from there, he said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46 NLT).

If Nathaniel had been present during the events recorded in Judges 6, he might have asked, “Can anything good come from the least important member of the least important clan of the tribe of Manasseh?” And he would have been stunned at what God accomplished through Gideon.

If Nathaniel had been present when Samuel was anointing the king of Israel, he might have asked, “Can anything good come from the eighth son of Jesse, a shepherd who writes and sings psalms?” And he would have been stunned by what God accomplished through David.

If it seems to us that God chooses unlikely people—or people from unlikely places—to accomplish His work on earth, it’s only because we have such a limited perspective on people’s potential. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NIV).

God obviously saw something extraordinary in Mary’s heart. What’s amazing about Mary is that she lived a godly life in a godless place—and that she did so as a very young teenager. Many Bible scholars believe she may have been as young as twelve, but not much older than fourteen, when God chose her.

Here she was, a nobody living in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere—precisely the kind of person that God goes out of His way to call. He chose an unknown girl in a relatively unknown city to bring about the most well-known event in human history, an event so significant that we divide human time by it.

Maybe you’re trying to live out your faith in a godless place today, maybe at work or school or among unbelieving family members. You’re wondering if it can be done. It can. Mary stands as an example for us, proving that it is possible to live a godly life in an ungodly world.

 

Reflection question: What challenges do you face in trying to live a godly life in an ungodly world? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;In the sixth month of Elizabeth&rsquo;s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, &lsquo;Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!&rsquo;&rdquo; (Luke 1:26&ndash;28 NLT)
&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s difficult for us to understand, two thousand years after the events of Luke 1, the significance of the angel Gabriel&rsquo;s appearance to Mary in Nazareth. After all, the Lord could have found the future mother of the Messiah in Rome, the capital of the greatest power on earth at the time. He could have found her in Athens, the cultural center of the world. He could have found her in Jerusalem, the spiritual center of the world. But God chose Nazareth, an obscure city that was notorious for its sin. Years later, when Jesus&rsquo; future disciple Nathaniel heard that Jesus was from there, he said, &ldquo;Can anything good come from Nazareth?&rdquo; (John 1:46 NLT).
If Nathaniel had been present during the events recorded in Judges 6, he might have asked, &ldquo;Can anything good come from the least important member of the least important clan of the tribe of Manasseh?&rdquo; And he would have been stunned at what God accomplished through Gideon.
If Nathaniel had been present when Samuel was anointing the king of Israel, he might have asked, &ldquo;Can anything good come from the eighth son of Jesse, a shepherd who writes and sings psalms?&rdquo; And he would have been stunned by what God accomplished through David.
If it seems to us that God chooses unlikely people&mdash;or people from unlikely places&mdash;to accomplish His work on earth, it&rsquo;s only because we have such a limited perspective on people&rsquo;s potential. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God said to Samuel, &ldquo;Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart&rdquo; (NIV).
God obviously saw something extraordinary in Mary&rsquo;s heart. What&rsquo;s amazing about Mary is that she lived a godly life in a godless place&mdash;and that she did so as a very young teenager. Many Bible scholars believe she may have been as young as twelve, but not much older than fourteen, when God chose her.
Here she was, a nobody living in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere&mdash;precisely the kind of person that God goes out of His way to call. He chose an unknown girl in a relatively unknown city to bring about the most well-known event in human history, an event so significant that we divide human time by it.
Maybe you&rsquo;re trying to live out your faith in a godless place today, maybe at work or school or among unbelieving family members. You&rsquo;re wondering if it can be done. It can. Mary stands as an example for us, proving that it is possible to live a godly life in an ungodly world.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What challenges do you face in trying to live a godly life in an ungodly world?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

With the Lord’s help, you can live a godly life in an ungodly world.

Advertisement